Chapter 15: The Eternal Art Emperor_2

"Because the villagers never thought Wan'an Bridge could catch fire," Meng Xin Zhi said.

"Isn't the bridge a national cultural relic? How could they not think of that? Do the villagers really not care about the bridge at all?" Zong Yi asked a string of questions.

"You just saw so many people crying, how could it possibly be that they don't care?"

"If they cared, why didn't they take fire prevention measures earlier?"

"Let me put it this way for you," Meng Xin Zhi thought for a moment and then explained, "For the people of Changqiao Village, the bridge has always been there. In their eyes, it is just a part of their life and not considered an extraordinary cultural relic. Before the bridge collapsed, they might not have thought they would care so much."

Zong Yi listened, pursed her lips, and shook her head, clearly not convinced.

Meng Xin Zhi decided to explain this somewhat profound concept to Zong Yi using the simplest language possible.

"Xiaoyi, in that story you liked before, was there a line that meant only after leaving one's native land, does one understand what 'country' and 'hometown' mean?"

"Yeah, that's right, my sister, I can understand that," Xiaoyi said.

"Actually, this principle applies in many areas. In this world where we live, there are many things that you simply cannot feel when you are in the midst of them."

"Like what?" Zong Yi asked.

"Like air," Meng Xin Zhi continued to explain, "From the moment you were born, air has always been around you. But you don't feel that air is something worth praising, right?"

"Hmm... that seems right."

"What about when you lose it?" Meng Xin Zhi asked again.

"Lose air? I know this! Without air, humans can't survive more than ten minutes, and that's referring to cardiac death. Brain death could happen in even less than five minutes," Zong Yi, who was always thirsty for knowledge and full of scientific curiosity, replied.

"That's exactly the point," Meng Xin Zhi summarized, "A bridge may not be as significant as one's hometown or as crucial as air. But likewise, it's when you lose it that you truly understand the significance of its existence."

"Is that so?" Zong Yi tried to comprehend her sister's words with her own logic, this time starting to waver.

"Of course, it is," Meng Xin Zhi reassured her.

A breeze lifted Zong Yi's skirt and Meng Xin Zhi carefully held it down, gazing at the ruins of Wan'an Bridge with a sense of reflection, she said, "If Wan'an Bridge has the chance to be rebuilt, those who have experienced this disaster will certainly cherish it more."

"Do you really think so, sister?"

"Truly. The protection of intangible cultural heritage is always a gradual process. As more and more people become aware of these cultural heritages, more will stand up to protect them."

"Okay then, my sister, I think you're almost convincing me."

"Almost means you still have doubts, right?"

"Right, right, my sister, can I ask another historical question?"

This time, Meng Xin Zhi did not agree.

Because Dad had sent two messages, asking her to bring Zong Yi back to the RV for dinner.

...

The weather is very clear today.

The moon on the tenth day is half full.

The first thing Zong Yi did after dinner was to go back and look at Wan'an Bridge.

"Sister, sister, sister, I have a question."

"Ask away."

"Will we never see the original appearance of Wan'an Bridge again?"

"That question... Wooden bridges like Wan'an Bridge almost get destroyed every 50-100 years, and they either get rebuilt or repaired. Even if this bridge had not been destroyed by last night's fire, it was already not its original form."

"So, is it still considered a cultural relic? Does it still need protection?"

"Xiaoyi, your question is quite philosophical."

"Philosophical?"

"Yes, it's what you might call the Ship of Theseus paradox."

"The Ship of Theseus paradox..." Zong Yi reflected for a moment, "That's the one where the planks of the ship are slowly replaced one by one, and after all of them have been replaced, whether or not it's still the same ship, right?"

"Wow! My little sister is so smart." Meng Xin Zhi patted Zong Yi's little head encouragingly.

"It's mainly because my sister teaches me well." Zong Yi continued to ask, "So what's the answer? Is it the original ship or not?"

"Since it's a paradox, there definitely isn't a universally accepted answer yet."

"Eh, my sister, does this mean that this walking bridge isn't that significant either?"

"It's not like that. The heritage of intangible cultural assets, first and foremost, is the transmission of ancient skills," Meng Xin Zhi told Zong Yi, "If this bridge could be rebuilt, using the most advanced and difficult wooden arch bridge craft, it would signify that the skill has been well transmitted."

Meng Xin Zhi and Zong Yi walked and talked the whole way.

Under the moonlight and the lights of the village homes, they headed towards Wan'an Bridge.

This time, the sisters took a different path that led directly from the grass to the underside of Wan'an Bridge.

While walking, suddenly they heard a very suppressed sobbing.

The first time Meng Xin Zhi and Zong Yi came here, dusk was just beginning to fall.

A few stubborn streaks of twilight still clung to the horizon, allowing Zong Yi to see the reddened eyes of the villagers.

It was already a bit late now.

The night had descended, and other than the croaking frogs and the chirping cicadas, there was no other sound.

Zong Yi was a little frightened.

She immediately hid behind Meng Xin Zhi.

But she couldn't help her curiosity, and from behind Meng Xin Zhi, she stretched out her head to look in the direction of the sound.

Daxin and Xiaoyi had been chatting all the way and hadn't noticed, but when they did, the sound was already very close.

Then, she covered her mouth in surprise.

After a while, Zong Yi asked Meng Xin Zhi in a hushed voice, "Is that Uncle Yi over there?"

Meng Xin Zhi made a gesture for silence, speaking only loud enough for her and Zong Yi to hear, "Let's keep walking and continue our conversation, as if we haven't seen anything."

"But, we're so close, Uncle Yi must have seen us already, right?" Zong Yi's voice was as small as an ant's.

"Whether he saw us or not isn't important, what's important is whether we saw him."

After Meng Xin Zhi explained, Zong Yi still seemed to half understand.

When it came to matters that didn't involve her forming her own distinct logic, Zong Yi always listened to her sister.

Suddenly, Zong Yi resumed her normal volume and started to sing-song, "Sister, sister, I have a question."

"What question?"

"Was Wan'an Bridge built during the period of the Artistic Emperor?"

"The Artistic Emperor?"

"Yes, yes, yes, the Artistic Emperor—art as in 'artistic'."

"No, it wasn't."

Meng Xin Zhi took up the topic handed to her by Zong Yi, her demeanor becoming one of focused explanation:

"The year Wan'an Bridge first started construction, that emperor who undoubtedly has the highest artistic achievement in Chinese history, had just turned eight years old."

"It never occurred to him that one day he would become an emperor; he wasn't even raised to act like one should."

"He was extravagant, frivolous, poor in judging character, and possessed all the flaws an emperor should never have."

"Other than the artistic talent that he exhibited from a young age, he was virtually incompetent in everything else."

"Oh, right. He was also handsome."

"Of course, looks don't really affect one's ability to be an emperor."

"His throne fell from the sky when he was 18 years old."